Hearts of Camelot
by dark-byakugan24
Summary: A drabble chapters collection focused on positively exploring a moment for each of ten characters; 8 required ones and 2 optional. Written for a special challenge over at "The Heart of Camelot" site; official description inside. Contains spoilers for season 5.
1. Sefa

**Hearts of Camelot**

**Official HoC Challenge Description: **_Write anywhere from 300 to 600 words on each of the characters below. I'm making this a bit more flexible than our regular drabble challenges, but please, stay within the limit._

_To be more specific, I'd like you to explore a moment on the show where that character did something meaningful that made you respect them/see them in a positive light._

1st Optional Featured Character: Sefa  
Ratings/Warnings: K+, very brief mentions of violence. Spoiler alert for season 5!  
Word Count: 463  
Summary: Sefa's thoughts and feelings as she visits her father, Ruadan at night. Set in 5x01; _Arthur's Bane: part 1_

* * *

Sefa felt grateful that she'd worn her warm red cloak over her dress because it was a bit windy outside, in the Darkling Woods. Drawing her cloak closer to her, she quietly stepped up on to the partly hidden path leading to the ruins of what once was a huge stone castle. It was her father Ruadan's temporary hideout. She startled herself when she saw an ebony black crow screeching loudly near the entrance, her heart hammering frantically. _It belongs to the Lady Morgana, I'm assuming. Delivering a message…_

While she was telling her father Ruadan about King Arthur and his men's plans, conflicted feelings were stirring inside Sefa's mind. She truly longed to make her father proud of her, but her stomach was twinging with guilt because of her betrayal to the king. She didn't understand the feuding between Camelot and the druids. Ruadan had taught her so much about fear, and how it was a weakness to be used against you.

Sefa wanted magic to be allowed again in Camelot for her father's peace of mind, even if it meant overthrowing Arthur's rule. This was so respectable druids like her father and anyone who possessed magic, could roam freely wherever in Albion they wished, without fear of being persecuted.

Turning to leave, Ruadan uttered his parting words, "You've served your purpose." Sefa felt a small rush of pride within her at first, which was slowly ebbing by the callous way he worded his praise.

Sefa spoke up when her father asked her how she was treated, as a last thought, mild concern displayed on his face. "They've been good to me, Father." She really meant it; Arthur and his wife Guinevere were very welcoming towards her.

Hearing her father's next response, Sefa secretly disagreed that Pendragons were only meant for death. She could sympathize with him though, the injustice of Uther killing her father's kind during the Great Purge.

_…Also, it was kind of Merlin to help me pick up the fruit from the ground, and he does have the cutest smile,_ she thought. Sefa had felt herself smile genuinely when he was talking to her. It filled her with sadness, that this memory would soon become distant. She would love to get to know Merlin more, but getting too close with anyone associated with being allies with a Pendragon was dangerous.

Her father had undergone so much, and she could not bear for him to have any more bad memories. She could even put up with him working with Morgana, whom honestly frightened Sefa a little. Tears were building up in her grey eyes as she was watching her father mount his horse. _Be safe, father. _ He would have a long journey, until he arrived to where Morgana's castle was.


	2. Isolde

**Hearts of Camelot**

2nd Optional Featured character: Isolde  
Ratings/Warnings: T, Character death  
Word Count: 512  
Summary: Arthur's thoughts on the bravery of Isolde. Set during the fighting scenes near the end of 4x13; _The Sword in the Stone part 2._ Main pairing is Isolde/Tristan.

* * *

While he was attacking one of Helios' men with his sword, King Arthur observed Isolde and Tristan fighting valiantly, alongside with him. His knights were battling against more invaders, across the castle. Isolde's footsteps echoed softly all around the chamber, in contrast with her clashing swords with her opponent.

Tristan and Isolde were initially suspicious of him and Merlin when they met in the Darkling Woods, on their way to Ealdor. They especially didn't trust Arthur as he was indirectly responsible for forcing Isolde and Tristan to become smugglers, but now they believed that he could be a good king. Arthur was grateful that they now trusted him.

Arthur's eyes widened with shock, as Isolde hastily shoved her sword in Helios' back, before he could deliver the death blow. _I-Isolde saved me, she kill- No! _Isolde was now clutching her stomach, the result of Helios wounding her before he went down. Judging by how deep the wound looked, it seemed fatal. _She sacrificed her own life for me…_

Isolde's disbelieving bluish-grey eyes darted to search Tristan's ones, his content expression quickly changing to one of horror when he saw her injury. Tristan started to rush to her side as she painfully dropped to the ground on her knees, releasing her grip on the hilt. He gently cradled Isolde's body against a grey pillar, overwhelmed with grief. Isolde was a woman Tristan is very devoted to shown clearly by the affectionate actions and glances they shared.

Leaning against another pillar, Arthur watched Tristan holding Isolde tenderly, his expression sorrowful. It was killing Arthur on the inside listening to Isolde's hopes and dreams as she talked to Tristan. Their words dredged up a recent memory of Arthur's; his eyes had subconsciously flickered toward Guinevere the night before, at the Forest of Ascetir. Isolde had approached her, holding the flowers Tristan had given her, and he could just make out Isolde's words if he concentrated: "Never give up hope, love is stronger than anything." Isolde truly believed this and it had lightened the pain in his heart to see that Guinevere had smiled in response, although it didn't quite meet her eyes.

Isolde spoke one last line, emotionally moving Arthur to the bone. "Hold me." Tristan put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a gentle tearful kiss on her lips, embracing her tighter against him. Tristan and Isolde were bound by their sempiternal love for each other_. I was wrong to judge them on the mere fact that they were smugglers. Their loyalties are as true as my knights are; they were indeed a duo to be reckoned with. Isolde had great swordsmanship as well._

Arthur looked at Guinevere longingly, yearning to forgive Guinevere for her betrayal. _I can't stop loving you._ Perhaps it wasn't too late, as she returned his gaze wistfully.

From the short amount of time Arthur got to know Isolde, he concluded that she was a courageous warrior. She was a woman who deserved the chance to be knighted, and have renowned recognition in Camelot, even all of Albion.


	3. Gwaine

**Hearts of Camelot**

1st Required Featured Character: Gwaine  
Ratings/Warnings: K+ **A/N:** I'm just going to assume that his moon charm on his necklace used to be his father's.  
Word Count: 568  
Summary: Gwaine's bravery and nobility in rescuing Merlin from Oswald and Ethan, although Uther thinks differently. Set in 3x04; _Gwaine_

Beta'ed by shortstuff410

* * *

Gwaine felt frustrated and humiliated at the injustice of his arrest, as the castle guards forced him to kneel in front of the king. Shaking his brunette hair off of his face, Gwaine briefly glanced around in the brightly lit council chamber of the castle he was deposited into, the candles occasionally flickering. Gwaine's first instinct was to rescue Merlin from imminent danger, just like he had acted upon instinct to protect Arthur at the village tavern, though he hadn't known Arthur was the prince at the time. He thought he clearly explained this to King Uther but Uther's face remained the same expression, looking down at him contemptuously. Uther's assumptions about Gwaine struck a bit of a nerve. Gwaine already knew he could be a shameless flirt and that he was a handsome roguish man who loved having fun. This did _not_ mean he was merely an outsider with a quick temper.

_Thank you, Arthur,_ he thought. Gwaine's body still ached slightly, the result of being backhanded by Sir Oswald. Gwaine admitted his surprise to himself as Arthur came to Gwaine's defense. _Only cowards like Oswald would attack someone when their back was turned. Arthur…I see now that you are the opposite of your father. I hate that you made me scrub the army's foul-smelling boots with Merlin, but nobility is truly in your heart. At least, Merlin and I bonded well enough during our task.  
_

Oswald and Ethan could never truly understand what it meant to be a knight, if they simply enjoyed picking fights. Gwaine stared at them, immense dislike in his deep brown eyes. _They're the ones breaking the laws here. Merlin risked his life to get those infernal swords forged with sorcery from their chambers!  
_

Part of Gwaine always yearned to be a knight one day like his father and defy preconceived notions of a true knight. There was no chance of that while Uther was still king, though. _My opinion of kings hasn't changed at all. _Gwaine thought, reaching out to touch the silver crescent moon at the centre of his simple chain necklace to seek comfort without being too obvious. Unfortunately, the heavy iron chains shackled around his hands prevented him from doing so. A long time ago, the charm was handed down to him by his father, a nobler person than Uther could ever hope to be. Uther's decisions constantly clouded by his badly informed judgement _could_ sway more towards the greater good if he bothered to listen more to Arthur.

Gwaine recalled marvelling at the beauty of the grey castle turrets and the sprawling city of Camelot beyond, as he leaned out of the small window of Merlin's musty room for the first time. It gave him more of a clearer perspective to how his father would have once thought of the city, before Uther sent him away to die.

"Nobility is defined by what you do, not by who you are," Gwaine said to Uther, directing his furious steady gaze towards him. He had to make Uther realize how badly he made his mother suffer once, turning her away in her time of great need.

As Gwaine started to get dragged out of the room by the guards, he vowed to somehow help Merlin reveal the two false knights. _Oswald and Ethan do not deserve to be in this mêlée._ A plan was already forming in his mind.


End file.
